I spent around 30 months of the 30 blah blah years I’ve been on this planet avoiding subs, hotdogs, and other processed meats.  That was during the times that I was pregnant. Most expectant moms have heard of Listeria, and have been told how to avoid it.  Listeria is everywhere – in soil, grass, and produce – but contaminated foods make people sick most often.

Photo by Eva Wilson. That’s me. Lotsa years ago… This was a self portrait that I did while on maternity leave.

When we are pregnant, they tell us to eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, but sometimes, that can be deadly.

Listeria causes Listeriosis, a serious disease. Pregnant women are highly susceptible to the infection, as are fetuses, newborns, the elderly, and adults with weak immune systems. The disease can be deadly for these populations.  In September 2011, an outbreak was linked to a cantaloupe farm in Colorado. The outbreak claimed 29 lives and caused a miscarriage.

Listeria can stay in your body a long time you feel sick, so it is important to stay informed of recalls since more people can be infected by the same fruit, vegetables, or meat before an outbreak is noticed.  Pregnant women shouldn’t eat processed meats like hot dogs or luncheon meat unless it is heated until steaming hot.

Here are some other ways to practice food safety when you are pregnant.  USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provide the following advice for pregnant women (from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/pregnancy_gateway/infections-listeria.html):

• Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats unless they are reheated until steaming hot.
• Avoid getting fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces, and wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, and deli meats.
• Do not eat soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, and Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, or Mexican-style cheeses such as queso blanco, queso fresco, and Panela, unless they have labels that clearly state they are made from pasteurized milk.
• It is safe to eat hard cheeses, semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.
• Do not eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads.
• It is safe to eat canned or shelf-stable pâté and meat spreads.
• Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is an ingredient in a cooked dish such as a casserole. Examples of refrigerated smoked seafood include salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel which are most often labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky.” This fish is found in the refrigerated section or sold at deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens.
• It is safe to eat canned fish such as salmon and tuna or shelf-stable smoked seafood.
• Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or eat foods that contain unpasteurized milk.
• Use all refrigerated perishable items that are precooked or ready-to-eat as soon as possible.
• Clean your refrigerator regularly.
• Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure that the refrigerator always stays at 40 °F or below.

Here are the recent recalls of foods from Kroger that could be deadly for Pregnant women. This information was found on the Kroger Recall Website. Find more recall information at http://www.kroger.com/services/Pages/recall_information.aspx. Check your local stores website for recall information regularly. Cool thing is, it seems if you use your Kroger reward program card, you could get a call about recalled items that you have purchased!

FRESH SELECTIONS TENDER SPINACH 10 OZ – September 18, 2012

Affected in Kroger stores located in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville, Tennessee, Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Central and Northwest Ohio and N. West Virginia panhandle, Michigan, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington, and Nashville, TN, North Carolina, Virginia, Eastern WV, Eastern Kentucky, SE Ohio; Jay C, Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, Food4Less Fremont, Food4Less and FoodsCo.

Reason:The product may be contaminated with LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES and, if eaten, could result in severe illness to those individuals who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system.

KRO GROUND BEEF 73% 3#, 3 LB – September 16, 2012

Affected in Kroger stores located in Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri; Jay C, Food4Less and FoodsCo.

Reason:This product may be contaminated with E. Coli 0157:H7 and, if eaten, could result in severe illness.

TROPICAL FRUIT CUP SM IS, **54882; TROPICAL FRT CUP LG IS, **54218; TROPICAL FRT MIXED JMB IS, **54827 – September 16, 2012

Affected in Kroger stores located in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville, Tennessee, Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Central and Northwest Ohio and N. West Virginia panhandle, Michigan, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington, and Nashville, TN, North Carolina, Virginia, Eastern WV, Eastern Kentucky, SE Ohio, Greater Memphis, TN, Arkansas, Mississippi and Western Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana; Jay C, Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, Food4Less Fremont, King Soopers and City Market.

Reason:The product may be contaminated with SALMONELLA and if eaten, could result in severe illness to those individuals who consume the product.

GARDEN HIGHWAY MANGO SPEARS, 16 OZ – September 15, 2012

Affected in Kroger stores located in Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington, and Nashville, TN.

Reason:The product may be contaminated with SALMONELLA and if eaten, could result in severe illness to those individuals who consume the product.

MANGOES, 12 CT; MANGOES LARGE, 10 CT – September 15, 2012

Affected in Kroger stores located in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville, Tennessee, Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Central and Northwest Ohio and N. West Virginia panhandle, Michigan, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Greater Louisville (including Indiana), Lexington, and Nashville, TN, North Carolina, Virginia, Eastern WV, Eastern Kentucky, SE Ohio, Greater Memphis, TN, Arkansas, Mississippi and Western Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana; Jay C, Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, Food4Less Fremont, King Soopers, City Market, Food4Less and FoodsCo.

Reason:The product may be contaminated with SALMONELLA and, if eaten, could result in severe illness to those individuals who may consume this product.

CANTALOUPE, 9 CT – September 13, 2012

Affected in Kroger stores located in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Knoxville, Tennessee, Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, Dayton, OH and South Eastern Indiana, Indiana (except SW IN, -Evansville-), Illinois, Eastern Missouri, Greater Memphis, TN, Arkansas, Mississippi and Western Kentucky, Texas and Louisiana; Jay C, Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, Fry’s, Food4Less, FoodsCo and Smith’s.

Reason:The product may be contaminated with SALMONELLA and if eaten, could result in severe illness to those individuals who consume the product.

RICOTTA SALATA CHEESE, **6056 – September 11, 2012

Affected in QFC stores.

Reason:The product may be contaminated with LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES and, if eaten, could result in severe illness to those individuals who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system.